Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit

Remus and Brer Rabbit, by Joel
Chandler Harris

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Title: Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit
Author: Joel Chandler Harris
Release Date: August 9, 2007 [EBook #22282]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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REMUS AND BRER RABBIT ***

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[Illustration]

UNCLE REMUS and BRER RABBIT
By
Joel Chandler Harris
NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1906, by Joel Chandler Harris
Copyright, 1907, by Frederick A. Stokes Company September, 1907

THE CREETURS GO TO THE BARBECUE
[Illustration]
"Once 'pon a time," said Uncle Remus to the little boy--"But when was
once upon a time?" the child interrupted to ask. The old man smiled. "I
speck 'twuz one time er two times, er maybe a time an' a half. You
know when Johnny Ashcake 'gun ter bake? Well, 'twuz 'long in dem
days. Once 'pon a time," he resumed, "Mr. Man had a gyarden so fine
dat all de neighbors come ter see it. Some 'ud look at it over de fence,
some 'ud peep thoo de cracks, an' some 'ud come an' look at it by de
light er de stars. An' one un um wuz ol' Brer Rabbit; starlight,
moonlight, cloudlight, de nightlight wuz de light fer him. When de turn
er de mornin' come, he 'uz allers up an' about, an' a-feelin' purty well I
thank you, suh!
[Illustration]
"Now, den, you done hear what I say. Dar wuz Mr. Man, yander wuz
de gyarden, an' here wuz ol' Brer Rabbit." Uncle Remus made a map of
this part of the story by marking in the sand with his walking-cane.
"Well, dis bein' de case, what you speck gwineter happen? Nothin' in
de roun' worl' but what been happenin' sence greens an' sparrer-grass
wuz planted in de groun'. Dey look fine an' dey tas'e fine, an' long to'rds
de shank er de mornin', Brer Rabbit 'ud creep thoo de crack er de fence

an' nibble at um. He'd take de greens, but leave his tracks, mo'
speshually right atter a rain. Takin' an' leavin'--it's de way er de worl'.
[Illustration]
"Well, one mornin', Mr. Man went out in his truck patch, an' he fin'
sump'n missin'--a cabbage here, a turnip dar, an' a mess er beans yander,
an' he ax how come dis? He look 'roun', he did, an' he seed Brer
Rabbit's tracks what he couldn't take wid 'im. Brer Rabbit had lef' his
shoes at home, an' come bar'footed.
[Illustration]
"So Mr. Man, he call his dogs 'Here, Buck! Here, Brinjer! Here, Blue!'
an' he sicc'd um on de track, an' here dey went!
[Illustration]
"You'd 'a' thunk dey wuz runnin' atter forty-lev'm rhinossyhosses fum
de fuss dey made. Brer Rabbit he hear um comin' an' he put out fer
home, kinder doublin' 'roun' des like he do deze days.
[Illustration]
"When he got ter de p'int whar he kin set down fer ter rest his face an'
han's, he tuck a poplar leaf an' 'gun ter fan hisse'f. Den Brer Fox come
a-trottin' up. He say, 'Brer Rabbit, what's all dis fuss I hear in de woods?
What de name er goodness do it mean?' Brer Rabbit kinder scratch his
head an' 'low, 'Why, deyer tryin' fer drive me ter de big bobbycue on de
creek. Dey all ax me, an' when I 'fuse dey say deyer gwine ter make me
go any how. Dey aint no fun in bein' ez populous ez what I is, Brer Fox.
Ef you wanter go, des git in ahead er de houn's an' go lickity-split down
de big road!'
[Illustration]
"Brer Fox roll his little eyes, an' lick his chops whar he dribble at de
mouf, an put out ter de bobbycue, an' he aint mo' dan made his

disappearance, 'fo' here come Brer Wolf, an' when he got de news, off
he put.
"An' he aint mo'n got out'n sight, 'fo' here come ol' Brer B'ar, an' when
he hear talk er de bakin' meat an' de big pan er gravy, he sot up on his
behime legs an' snored. Den off he put, an' he aint got out'n hearin', 'fo'
Brer Coon come rackin' up, an' when he got de news, he put out.
[Illustration]
"So dar dey wuz an' what you gwine do 'bout it?